Nuclear Power as Dangerous as Nuclear Weapons

U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad similarly advocate the proliferation of nuclear energy. The latter argues: "It's clean. It's cheap."

However, experts say that nuclear power and nuclear weapons go hand-in-hand; nuclear energy companies would fail if not for corporate welfare, and hidden costs from environmental degradation and health consequences need to be considered:

The quest for nuclear disarmament is likely to fail if governments and corporations continue to promote nuclear technologies as a solution to the world's energy needs, say independent experts.

"If you believe that by spreading nuclear power around the world you could stop proliferation of weapons, then you are over-optimistic. It's unlikely to happen," he said David Krieger, president of the U.S.-based Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

Their warning comes as international talks on the future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) continue here at U.N. headquarters in New York. The review meeting on the 1970 treaty is due to conclude by the end of this month.